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Front on shot with crossbow

kaizen leader

kaizen leader

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A couple years ago I shot a nice buck facing me. I hit him in the chest high. He ran away with my bolt, no blood, no bolt, no deer. Never did find him. Last week I did it again. This time I aimed a little off center and lower. The buck ran off like nothing happen. I found half my bolt snapped clean, compression cracks by the feathers, and the knock broke off. It was on the ground right where he was standing. No blood anywhere. I looked for him but no luck. I will never take a head on shot again with a crossbow.
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That's too bad.
You should probably take a step back and kaizen different shot angles.

Successful harvest of deer with archery tackle isn't the same as with shooting them with rifles, and requires the correct angles.
 
Tough break. That's a tough angle, especially with archery. Possible yes but odds are not favorable.

No judgement here. We've all been in similar situations whether it be bad angles, too far, deer not stopped, whatever. I'm a jackass so it took maiming a couple animals for me to learn. Feels like a gut punch to me. So now I'm content to not shoot at all than to try a low odds shot. Far and above the hardest part of archery hunting is having a big buck in bow range but not shooting because angle isn't right. It's hard but sometimes you just have to watch them walk away.
 
I've never taken a head on shot like that with crossbow but always wondered how it would do. I don't plan on taking a straight forward shot like that but if I did I believe I'd aim for the neck just below the white patch. But like I said I don't think I'd ever do it.
 
Not a shot I personally would take. But I ain't gonna bash anyone that does. I'd rather wait and see if a deer presented a better shot, or let him walk for another day. Not pulling the trigger is never the wrong answer. Yeah, it may leave out wondering if you could have made it work, but that's better than making a bad shot and loosing an animal.
 
Hard lesson learned but at least you learned it. As have most bow hunters through the years with shots angles and a list of other things.
 
Ive killed several deer head on with a bow and crossbow, straight wide open pocket to the heart!! Never had one make it over 50 yards. Now these have all been from the ground straight on, pierced hearts. Much different angle from a stand than on the ground. Flame away
 
People do head on shots with compound bows on elk quite frequently. Wonder if you are getting enough penetration with the crossbow?
 
kaizen leader said:
A couple years ago I shot a nice buck facing me. I hit him in the chest high. He ran away with my bolt, no blood, no bolt, no deer. Never did find him. Last week I did it again. This time I aimed a little off center and lower. The buck ran off like nothing happen. I found half my bolt snapped clean, compression cracks by the feathers, and the knock broke off. It was on the ground right where he was standing. No blood anywhere. I looked for him but no luck. I will never take a head on shot again with a crossbow. View attachment 255785
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You should have learned your lesson the first time. NEVER take a front/chest shot with archery. It is a low percentage shot, as you have found out.
 
knightrider said:
Ive killed several deer head on with a bow and crossbow, straight wide open pocket to the heart!! Never had one make it over 50 yards. Now these have all been from the ground straight on, pierced hearts. Much different angle from a stand than on the ground. Flame away
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Same, never had a problem. Actually prefer it. Always a good blood trail and the bolt or arrow usually lodges in the gut cavity. Gut him and retrieve your arrow. I am a ground hunter btw
 
Ski said:
Tough break. That's a tough angle, especially with archery. Possible yes but odds are not favorable.

No judgement here. We've all been in similar situations whether it be bad angles, too far, deer not stopped, whatever. I'm a jackass so it took maiming a couple animals for me to learn. Feels like a gut punch to me. So now I'm content to not shoot at all than to try a low odds shot. Far and above the hardest part of archery hunting is having a big buck in bow range but not shooting because angle isn't right. It's hard but sometimes you just have to watch them walk away.
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I won't do it again.
 
Have shot them going all directions with my xbow, between the center of chest and the shoulder 1/4ing to me is a pass through, same as a 1/4ing away into the last rib and out somewhere other side, all shots less than 30y. I wont shoot dead center with any bolt or arrow, any gun I will. That center rib bone structure is wide and pretty dense, off to the side are like side shot ribs. Any time you shoot a animal there is always a chance for something to happen.
 
What type of broadhead are you using? Personally I've never taken a head on shot with a bow or gun. With the correct aim point it should work though. But sometimes arrows and bullets don't go straight when they hit an animal. The chest cavity is a tough portion with a small target when shooting head on.

I've recently switched broadheads. I have yet to try the new brand I'm trying out but I have friends that have had great success with this head. I've shot rage for years and I've killed a bunch of big deer with them but since they got bought out. I think the heads and blades are dull and may be of cheaper materials.

If it makes you feel better I shot a big deer a couple weeks ago with my bow. The deer was almost dead broadside, he was just slightly quartering away I put my pin so my arrow would exit right behind the offside shoulder. I hit him exactly where I wanted to about 3" behind the shoulder but got horrible penetration. My arrow should have zipped right through him at 18 yards. I figured I hit his offside shoulder but never heard a whack. I got nervous and got down to check blood before dark so I could see good. I had stomach material at the shot. It made absolutely no sense. I backed out, went back the next day and we tracked him 800 or so yards by mapping it. The coyotes got him pretty bad and I think they were pushing him right after the shot. He never laid down or stopped. The broadhead hit the backside of a big rib and bounced back toward his gut. It didn't even puncture through the hide on the opposite side. My broadhead was destroyed, the shaft and blades were bent bad from the rib. Even though I made a perfect shot in that situation my equipment failed and I nearly lost that deer.
 
I let an easy 140" 10 point walk because it wasn't a what I call an ethical shot. The buck was no more that 15 yards from me . He caught sitting down and as I raised up he looked dead at me so I froze. He was broadside at about 7-8 yards . So instead of going the way he was headed he turned and slowly headed straight away from me ....I drawed my bow hoping he'd turn just a little but he just kept walking straight away from me . He wasn't spooked nor was he blowing...he knew I was something different but wanted away from me .Thought about shooting at the base of his neck but thought better of it . Told a couple hunting the area....one said I'd shot his neck !!! Not me too beautiful of an animal to mess up and maybe die of a poor placed arrow . He lived another day . I had no doubt at that range I could have placed an arrow where I aimed. Would of it have killed him maybe ? Buck got ran over by the one of the many trucks that came to our company where I worked . They allowed us to bowhunt their property. I've lost enough bowhunting by shooting them like I wanted to shoot one on a questionable shot . Not that I haven't made bad shots but had learned to pass if the shot wasn't there . Xbows may be different but I'd treat them the same because they are not a gun . Not bashing anyone because we have enough of that with other topics ....if man can live with his shot selection then by all means carry on .
 

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